“Back in 1983, Mitt Romney traveled 12 hours to Canada with his Irish Setter, Seamus, strapped to the roof of the car in a kennel. Then, as the Boston Globe described when they broke the story in 2007, Romney’s son noticed a brown liquid dripping down the back window. Romney hosed the dog off and stuffed the hound back into the crate. The dog allegedly ran away when the Romney family finally reached its vacation destination.”

The story made the news during Romney’s 2007 bid for the presidency, and it had reared it’s doggie head again this time around. In fact, a dog named Rusty, who hosts the website DogsAgainstRomney.com, has been keeping the story alive for years, dubbing the incident “Crate-Gate.” The site’s Facebook page boasts more than 32,000 fans. Rusty even organized a protest outside the Westminster Kennel Club show this past week.

No word on where Seamus went when he bolted from the crate in the ’80s or how he spent the rest of his life; Romney has been hush on the ending to the story. If he was smart, Seamus started running and never looked back.

In the end, it may not be Romney’s religion or politics that are the final nail in his coffin. It might be the treatment of his dog. Woof!

So tell me what you think: Will a candidate’s treatment of his dog affect your decision on voting day?

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